Treasures from the Amazon and other far more Festive Moments
by ChestnutBrumby
Summary: Ichabod plus pop culture, and that's about it. Basically Abbie letting Ichabod catch up on TV, movies, books and other day-to-day 21st century, because whenever I watch a movie or finish a book I find myself thinking 'How would Ichabod react to this'
1. Chapter 1

**There isn't any plot to this one. It's just Ichabod experiencing pop culture, or should we say, becoming addicted to pop culture! Does tie in with my Second Chance series but yeah, this one is strictly no substance, all fun :) **

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><p>First it was the superheros. Abbie wanted to blame Irving for that, because he was the one to refer to Ichabod as 'Capetian America' and addict him to every Marvel movie under the sun. She got him a collection for his birthday. He spent the entire day watching them, devouring the popcorn she brought him.<p>

She couldn't even be mad at him. He had two hundred and fifty years to catch up on, and he was so transparently happy doing so.  
>It didn't stop at movies, either.<p>

"Miss Mills? How does your 'Netflix' work?" Ichabod had long since mastered the remote and was staring, brow furrowed, at the TV screen. Abbie dropped into the couch beside him and resigned herself to a night in. Not that it bothered her, so much, because that meant a night in with Ichabod.

Futurama was the first thing he discovered on Netflix and he became instantly engrossed - anything to do with time travel and he was automatically entranced. Abbie hadn't watched it herself, though she knew it was by the creator of The Simpsons and of course she'd seen episodes of _that_. She was pleasantly surprised - it had a much greater depth and heart than the Simpsons and she soon found herself just as fascinated as Ichabod by the adventures of a 20th-century Pizza delivery boy thrown a thousand years into the future. Some of the jokes naturally went over Ichabod's head but Abbie patiently explained what she could, and listening to him laugh was the most welcome sound she could imagine after a day's work.

The downside of Futurama was that Crane could never resist ordering pizza when they watched it and Abbie feared that between the pizza and the popcorn she was going to gain twenty poundss, possible overnight.

"One more episode." He begged at one night at two in the morning. Abbie propped her elbow on his shoulder and yawned. "You said that four episodes ago. I know it's Friday night and we actually don't have to go in tomorrow, but I _do_ still need sleep."  
>He just continued to look at her with a ridiculous amount of hope in his gaze and she groaned. "ONE more."<br>She was asleep, leaning on his surprisingly comfortable shoulder, when the credits rolled three episodes later.

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><p>"Do you think that you would do that for me?" He gestured to the screen where the heroine saved her price from gypsies by getting an oath from their leader that she could take whatever she could carry with her - then slinging the price over her shoulder and carrying him away down the path. Abbie shot him a look - his eyes were too innocent over the popcorn bowl. "Not unless you cut down on the popcorn. You're going to wind up on American's biggest loser in a few weeks."<br>Then, of course, she had to explain the reality TV show to him, promise that she would never watch an episode when he was present, and that she hadn't meant it as an insult.

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><p>"Avengers again?" Abbie pulled her legs up and tucked them under herself, settling comfortably on the couch. They were in the cabin - they watched more movies here, since the TV didn't get good reception, but continued the Futurama marathon at Abbie's place. After having gone through the latest stack from Blockbuster, Crane went to his fallback.<br>Avengers, his favourite.  
>"Do you mind?"<br>"Not really. It's got just the right amount of laughs to balance out the action. Joss Whedon really nailed this one. Which reminds me, I think I'll show you Firefly after we finish with Futurama. You're going to like that one."  
>"As always, I bow to your superior knowledge in regards to modern entertainment."<br>"And rightly so."  
>She was in the kitchen popping the second bag of popcorn when he called out to her. "Lieutenant! Your favourite portion is approaching."<br>"Coming." She plopped the popcorn bowl into his lap, smiling when she saw he'd paused the DVD for her.  
>"You know, seeing Loki getting smashed around by Hulk really never gets old." Abbie wiped the tears of laughter from her eyes. Ichabod smiled. "What I enjoy his little defeated groan afterwards."<br>"Groan? There's a groan?" Abbie stared at the screen in astonishment.

"Perhaps you've been too consumed with mirth to hear it before now? Listen." Ichabod found the rewind button and held up a cautioning finger when the Hulk grabbed Loki by the ankle and smacked him into the floor. Abbie swallowed her laughter with difficulty. "And... there."

Abbie realized he was right - she'd never heard Loki's pathetically amusing groan, really more of a croak, before now. "Huh. Just goes to show you you can still find something new in a movie you've watched a dozen times."

She peeled herself from the couch and removed the remote from Crane's grip after the final end credits scene of the Avengers, sitting around the Shawarma place. "That's it for tonight, we've got to be up early tomorrow." She picked up the popcorn bowl and took it to the sink, prodding Crane on her way back when she noticed he hadn't gotten up. "You're going to have a hell of a backache if you stay there all night."  
>"Mmm. Getting up." He blinked slowly and smiled the sleepy, rarely-seen Crane Smile that nobody else got to see. She held out a hand and he granted another one of those smiles as he accepted.<br>He was getting there.

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><p><strong>AN2 - just incidentally my fellow Sleepyheads... HOW good was the latest episode? All the deep stuff aside... Crane in skinny jeans, now if that isn't a nod to the legion of fanfic writers who also thought the idea was brilliant, I'll eat my Ichabod T-shirt. I'm legitimately wearing an Ichabod T-shirt that arrived yesterday afternoon, it's got him and a bunch of his quotes on it. You guys figured out long before now I tend towards obsession, right?**


	2. Chapter 2

Abbie had rapidly grown used to Ichabod's company in her house. As a roommate he was respectful, never using all the hot water, always insisting with his trademark gentleman's nature that she walk through doors first, pulling out her chair when she sat down. He was easy to live with, and after two years Abbie knew him well enough that he was predictable. They often spent the early evenings, while preparing dinner, cleaning and doing other household chores, in conversation. Late evenings were 'quiet time' - with Abbie often catching up on work-related emails and Crane with his nose in a book, alternately watching a movie curled up on the couch together.

So Abbie got quite a shock when she scrolled thorough her facebook feed and casually commented "Hey Crane, there's a trailer out for the next Captain America movie, Civil-"  
>She was sure that when she started speaking he was well across the living room, reading, but before she finished a small earthquake rattled her computer chair, a tense hand gripping her shoulder, and Crane was right there, leaning perilously far over her. She could feel his breath on the back of her neck (recently windowed, he is goddamn <em>recently widowed<em>) and planted both her feet firmly to ground herself, and stop the caster wheels on her computer chair skittting her cross the room under Crane's unexpected onslaught.

There were certainly books Crane was passionate about, and while he enjoyed movies, if Abbie watched them with him to explain the bits afterwards he'd didn't understand, there were only a few series movies that Ichabod Crane really loved, and that was the Marvel movies. They had been one of the first movies she'd introduced him to in the modern world and they'd certainly stuck. And of all the Avengers, Captain America remained his favourite. It didn't surprise her, so much, since he and Steve Rogers were a lot alike.  
>"Well play it already, wouldn't you?" It was far more eager than it was rude, and Abbie could never resist his boyish enthusiasm. She clicked the fullscreen then play button, and settled back, not at all minding that Crane continued to breath down her neck while the trailer played. In truth she did pay attention - she wasn't the avid fanboy that Ichabod had turned out to be, but she did enjoy the movies.<br>He only moved once darkness had overtaken the screen, exhaling loftily and then seeming to realize he was half draped over Abbie in his eagerness to watch the trailer. "Oh." He flexed his fingers and released her, stepping back and smoothing down imaginary wrinkles in his shirt. "My apologies, leftenant."  
>She waved him off. "If I had realized you were going to crash-tackle me, I'd've brought my laptop to you. I take it we can go see that one at the theater?"<br>"Oh yes." She had to smile at the excitement gleaming from his blue eyes. It was so rare, these days, to see Crane happy and relaxed, given the assorted demons and aforementioned widow status he had to grapple with.  
>"Black Panther looked interesting." She commented, trying to recall what she knew about that particular superhero. She had read several sets of comics in her youth, but her selective memories of that entire time were patchy at best.<br>"Mmmm. And on Tony Stark's side it appears, also interesting. I do wonder why they were all after Mr. Barnes, however?"  
>"Steve's BFF? Well, he was kinda an international assassin until the end of the last Captain America movie. Isn't that enough reason for an army to be hunting him down?"<br>"No... noooo, there's certainly something more at hand, I do believe. Some motive for all these separate parties to have some interest in taking captive the Winter Soldier."  
>"Well - I guess we'll find out in... when is this one out again, Crane?" Like so much, even for non-essential facts she relied on his memory.<br>"May sixth." He pulled a face and she had to laugh, standing up and holding out a hand to pull him off the couch. "Come on, I think this calls for some ice-cream, let's head down to Ben & Jerry's."  
>"I'll get my coat." Ichabod replied agreeably, then heaved a sigh as he got to his feet. "There is nothing worse than the anticipation of knowing a really engaging tale is out of reach for the coming months." He shook his head sorrowfully, and Abbie laughed and patted his cheek. "Well, if the demon hoards don't get the better of us before then, we'll be there, opening night."<p> 


	3. Chapter 3

Abbie smiled her most winning smile to contrast Ichabod's doubtful deameanour. "Give it a try." She coaxed her very reluctant fellow Witness. "How will you know unless you give it a go?"  
>Ichabod's doubtful look didn't fade, but he sighed and relented. "As you wish, Leftentant." He touched the 'play' button.<br>He winced at the first few notes. "Heavens." An eyebrow arched upwards. "And you say this is a male performer? That certainly is a high note."  
>Abbie coughed on her laughter. "Just listen."<br>_"Every time, that you get undressed..."_

"What a wildly inappropriate topic for a song." Ichabod relented when Abbie fixed him with a stern look and dutifully returned to listening. His expression didn't alter until twenty seconds later, when a lively chorus of trumpets chimed in. Abbie noted the look of interest cross his face and hid a smile.  
><em>"And the trumpets, they gooooo..." <em>She could tell, down to the instant, when the song hooked him. He turned a shade pink during the lyrics of the next verse, but by the time the chorus played a second time, Abbie could see him tapping his fingers to the beat.  
>"That's one for me. I'd tell you to learn those lyrics in order to be ready for our next karaoke session, but I know that only requires a single listen for you."<br>When Abbie didn't receive an immediate answer, she tilted her head - it was rare he had nothing to say. Sheepishly, Ichabod looked away then surreptitiously pressed the back button on the cd player to listen to the song once more.


	4. When the World Falls Down

"_What_ exactly, is that actor wearing?"  
>"It's David Bowie. That's actually kinda normal by his standards." Abbie assured her fellow Witness. Ichabod averted his eyes. "That's <em>wildly<em> inappropriate."  
>"This is probably not how I should have introduced you to the fantasy genre, though it was one of the few movies I actually watched as a kid. I think I should have started you off with Lord of the Rings." Abbie sighed. Ichabod however had no answer, he had become absorbed in the bright red-orange creatures prancing across the screen, uttering a short, startled laugh when they began to throw their heads after the heroine. Abbie smiled, settling back onto the couch - Ichabod laughed so seldom, she relished the sound. By the time the battle sequence at the end of the movie rolled around, Abbie noticed Ichabod clenching his first and tensing at pivotal points as if he could leap through the screen and assist the heroine, and she smiled to herself. Watching Ichabod watch movies was equally as good entertainment as the television screen was.<br>"And you say this was all done with puppets?"  
>"Yep. Jim Hensen was the James Cameron of his time - this was very cutting edge when it was released."<br>"It does have a certain charm over all this computer-generated explosive nonsense."  
>"CGI. Computer-generated imagery. Because it's a lot cheaper to have a computer fake your explosion than blow something up for real."<br>"That reminds me, I read an article on the Wiki about a movie that utilized practical efforts over your _C-G-I_." Ichabod wrinkled his nose at the acronym - Abbie held back a smile, knowing he hated them. (Though CGI was perhaps a little less hated than his least favoruite these days, FBI). "What was it? The movie?"  
>"Something in a series called Mad Max. I profess, the title did not exactly fill me with anticipation, but I am prepared to entertain the idea and withhold judgement until such a time."<br>"Good. Now zip it for a minute, he's about to sing again."  
>Apparently Ichabod didn't mind David Bowie's singing ability, since silence reigned until the credits began to roll. Abbie stretched and flexed her hands together over her head. "Did you like that one?"<br>"Yes, though it did have many an oddity. Perhaps I'm merely too old for the fantasy realm."  
>"Two hundred is too old for fantasy, but not superheros?" Abbie teased, and Ichabod grinned, an eyebrow raising in challenge. "As long as your Mr. Hemsworth is involved in my superhero fancies, I don't hear you complaining."<br>Abbie removed the DVD from the player and replaced it in its case, smiling at the familiar cover. Her childhood had few high points, few ventures to theaters or days spent in front of the television, but this movie was a fond reminder of those rare good time. Her hands lingered over the cover, though she knew the artwork off by heart. Then, with a sigh, she replaced the DVD on the shelf. Childhood was a long, long way behind her, despite her comparative youth. It was a blessing when she and her partner found two hours to curl up on the couch and watch a movie. She knew she had to learn to seize these moments as they came - before one or another of their brushes with death stole the chance off of them for good. After all, nobody knew how much time they had left.  
>"Come on Ichabod, let's get to bed. You use the shower first. No doubt there'll be a fresh catastrophe waiting for us in the morning."<p>

**A/N - this was of course written for the great David Bowie in the wake of his death. The world is a little less bright, as one more star joins those in the night sky.**


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